Hero
by dl-shipper34
Summary: Danny goes to Montana to support Lindsay, neither one ready for what is about to take place.


My body hangs like a rag doll. I am no longer the bright-eyed young woman I used to be. In her place is a sorrowful figure, hunched over with the fates on her shoulders. I feel myself tiring, yet I ruthlessly push myself through this. It must be done.  
I lift myself off my hotel bed and stare in the mirror, forcing myself to walk out the door. I must do this, must bring closure to my past. I need to move on.  
As I peer at my reflection, my thoughts wander off. How I long to be back in New York with my friends, my co-workers…and _him_. His handsome features flash in the mirror, staring back at me with that crooked smile of his.  
The image lingers for a moment, then vanishes. I breathe in and leave, quickly shutting out the demons that threaten to tear through my heart. 

I have never been a shipper for flights. This time, however, my mind is elsewhere. I lean back and allow myself a brief smile. I still recall the first day we met at the zoo. All it took was one glance, and I knew it was right.  
Something is wrong with her, and I want to find out what. I want to help her, show her that I'm here. Ever since that case with the deaf family, she's been acting strange. Her past seemed to catch up with her, and no matter how hard she ran, she couldn't escape it.  
I gaze out the passenger window. The plane is above the clouds now. Up here it is like an endless ocean of blue, streaking off into eternity.  
Each passing second brings me closer to her.

The realization of it all still hasn't set it. I sit here in the witness stand, trying to pull shards of the crime from my past. Twenty feet away is the scum who took everything away from me. I refuse to meet his eyes; I will surely snap if I do. My hands want to curl into a tight fist, but I force them to relax. I'm not even sure if I hear the questions being asked to me.  
A cool summer night, some ten years ago, my entire life was shattered. My friends were slain by a man whom I had previously trusted. He spared me for no apparent reason, yet I find at times I wish he had taken me as well.  
A noise brings me back to reality. A guard stands at the entranceway, talking to someone behind the doors. I cannot see their face, but when they speak a jolt runs down my spine. I know that accent, that lovable New York accent. He appears; my heart stops for a split second.  
"Danny."

It's as if we are the only two people in the room. Our eyes meet for a moment, staring into each other. I nod and quietly take my seat near the back in an area where she can see me. I rub my hands together to keep them warm.  
Finally, after all those long hours, I'm here.

"Miss Monroe?"  
I blink to clear my head. The lawyer stares at me hard, quickly losing his patience. I mumble a half-hearted apology and continue speaking. Every few minutes I flick my gaze his way, just to make sure he's still here. His presence gives me the strength my voice needs.  
I breathe a sigh of relief once I am finished. As the lawyer rambles, I take the chance to really look at him. He hasn't changed since I last saw him from the taxi. His hair is still somewhat messy, like I always remember, and his eyes still possess that beautiful glow. I hope he realizes how relieved I am to see him.

I purposely drown out the lawyer's voice, and only see her at the stand. She is still beautiful as ever, yet I can see she has paid a price for this trial. If only I could go up there and hold her hand, tell her everything is okay. I have to force myself to stay seated.  
The case is dismissed. They are leading a man away in cuffs, a stocky guy who has hate written all over his face. I watch him leave, then wait until everyone is filed out.

I turn to face him, hands trembling. He slowly walks up and stands not three feet away, searching my eyes. If only he knows what he does every time we're in the same room.  
"Danny." I breathe.  
"Montana," he whispers in that beautiful voice. I realize how much I've missed it. "It's been too long."  
"Why are you here?"  
"I…I just thought you might want some support. You shouldn't have to-"  
I throw my arms around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. I can't stand to be alone right now. He wraps his muscular arms around me and holds me close, his hot breath on my skin. I feel as if an angel is here. He kisses my shoulder and slightly releases me so we are staring at each other, yet I can still feel his powerful arms supporting my back, as if he doesn't want to let go.  
"I was going crazy back at the lab. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe…my mind was always on you. The fact that you were over here all alone tore me apart. I couldn't stand to be away from you any longer."  
The impact of his words causes my voice to freeze. This man flew across the country to find me. He left the only world he has ever known to come for me. Is all this really happening?  
He gently lifts my chin and looks at me with that piercing gaze. "I promised I would be there for you, an' I intend to keep it."  
I know I won't be alone tonight.

The taxi rolls over the snow-covered ground under the moon's glow. Lindsay's head is on my shoulder, her large brown curls obstructing her face from my view. My left arm is over the back of the seat, and my right hand is encased in hers.  
I know it will be a tiresome night, a long one for us both. Yet I cannot help but feel a warm sensation, and for that I curse myself. Maybe it's because I'm finally with Lindsay, something I've always wanted. But right now I know she needs a friend, and I'm prepared to do just that. I can not, will not leave her. Not now. Not ever.  
I tuck one of her brown locks behind her ear so I can see her features. Her beautiful brown eyes stare straight ahead, still hiding the secret I wish to know. She peers up at me, somehow knowing I am watching her.  
"What?" she asks quietly.  
"I can't take my eyes off you."

A light snow falls deep and soft upon the town. I sit at my hotel window, watching countless flakes pass by, patiently waiting for sleep to arrive. I have always loved snow; it is a mysterious element that I can never quite explain.  
I sigh and turn my attention to the bed, where Danny is resting peacefully. Strange he is asleep before me. His burly chest gently moves up and down with each breath. My mind flashes back to that first day we met, when he had teasingly called me 'Montana'. Though I never say anything, I feel loved when he calls me that, sometimes several times in one day. Heaven knows what he does to me when he says it.  
A yawn escapes my throat; I must get more sleep. I rise from my position and, as not to wake Danny, slowly lay on the bed facing him. How I long to say what my heart has hid for many a night. I edge closer to his sleeping form, staring at his closed eyes, and place a soft hand on his rough cheek. He stirs but remains asleep. I lift his left arm and place it over me, listening to the soothing rhythm of his beating heart. Before long I too fall into a deep slumber.

Mystical figures stride through the corridors of my dreams. I hear distant mumbling that increases in level as the voice grows nearer. I am over the ocean, and the waters part to make a path for someone who appears to be walking towards me.  
Aiden.  
She jabs me in the chest and utters a single word. "Awake!"

My eyes snap open, hand instinctively reaching for the gun on the night table.  
"Don't move!"  
I slowly shift my eyes to the middle of the room, where they fall upon a horrific sight. A muscular arm is wrapped around Lindsay's neck, a knife at her throat. A strangled sob escapes her lips; she stares at me with pleading eyes. The man holding her hostage now points the knife at me. I instantly recognize him as the fugitive who was taken away in the courtroom earlier.  
"I said don't move! Try anything stupid an' she dies!"  
I grasp my own weapon in both hands, keeping the man in my line of sight. "Let her go an' nobody gets hurt, alright? C'mon, let her go."  
The crazed man's grip tightens slightly around Lindsay's neck. "Don't play me for a fool. This girl ruined my life, an' I'm about to ruin hers."  
"What are you talking about?" I try to stall him as I rack my mind for something, anything, to save Lindsay.  
He smirks, obviously savouring the situation. "Didn't your princess tell you? I'm the one who killed her friends. I let her go as a painful reminder, but now I realize my mistake. I would 'ave caught her earlier if she hadn't run off like a coward." He laughs and presses the flat of the blade onto Lindsay's shoulder.  
My blood boils at his cruel words. This monster standing in front of me, threatening the woman I love, committed that evil crime all those years ago. Now I know why she is so protective, why she won't let anything happen between us. He was still out there, waiting for her.  
Aiden's voice suddenly explodes in my mind. "Save your friend!"  
Without thinking I pull the trigger. The man stops laughing and emits a choked gurgle, then crumbles to the ground.

I feel a strong but gentle hand touch my arm, and I raise my eyes to meet those of Danny. His voice is weak with fear.  
"Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?"  
An unknown rage overcomes my spirit, and before I can stop myself I lunge onto the dead man and start choking him. My hands turn blue from my tight grasp, but I don't care. I know he's dead, but I want to, need to make sure he'll never hurt again.  
Danny feebly attempts to stabilize me, but it's no use. My eyes are bloodshot; I can't let go. Not until my mind realizes the truth.  
"Montana, enough! He's dead!"  
The fire in my veins diminishes. I sob relentlessly, letting out all my emotions that have been bottled up over the last few days. Danny holds me as we both kneel, gently swaying back and forth in an attempt to comfort me. I slowly calm down until my choked cries are nothing but a few stray tears running down my face.  
"Hey…" I feel his lips brush against my shoulder.  
I glance up at him, drowning in the beauty of his eyes.  
"I thought I'd lost you."  
I grow weak in his arms. Closing my eyes, I lean my forehead against his cheek, allowing his warmth to flow through my skin. I want to stay like this for eternity.  
"Why did you come for me?" I ask again.  
"Why do you think? I love you, Lindsay. I've loved you for so long."  
I'm silent for a moment. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I feel horrible."  
His hand runs through my hair, speaking in the accent I've come to adore. "That's not true. I constantly bothered you, kept calling you Montana. I should have given you more time instead of trying to rush things."  
His arms wrap tighter around my body, and I kiss his hand lightly and lean back, inhaling deeply. His hands crawl over mine and clasp them tightly.  
It's time he knows the truth.  
"I've always loved you, Danny. Even before I met you."


End file.
